# Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)

Published 2026-09-22. Last reviewed 2026-09-22. 1 source.

A 1966 federal law giving the public, including journalists, a legal right to request records from federal executive-branch agencies, subject to specified exemptions such as national security and personal privacy. Most U.S. states have parallel public-records laws covering state and local government.

## Sources

1. FOIA.gov. https://www.foia.gov/ (U.S. Department of Justice / Office of Information Policy).

Source page: https://thewaronnews.com/glossary/foia. The War On News, CC BY 4.0.